Anguilla: Sun, Sand, Spa...And Moonsplash
Article and photos by Rita Cook

My trip to Anguilla began uneventful enough as I trudged through the St. Martin airport, caught the Win Air connecting flight to St. Barts and then on to my final destination.

A bit of research about this British overseas territory told me that I shouldn't expect to topless bathe or run into throngs of tourists. I'll take the good with the bad, in this case, because while there are tourists in Anguilla, the island is still very peaceful.

I was originally invited to Anguilla for the Moonsplash Reggae Festival. An annual celebration hosted each year during the March full moon, by Anguilla's favorite Reggae king, Bankie Banx. The Moonsplash festival is three days and nights of good food and even better music located Banx' eclectic beach bar right on the Dune Preserve, a two-mile curve of glistening white sand on Rendezvous Bay.

At the same time Moonsplash junkies are grooving on Rendezvous Bay, there is yet another kind of festival going on as well. The Anguilla Jazz Festival is a yearly event and most locals know to attend both - the jazz festival earlier in the evening and then on to the Dune Preserve to listen to the music and watch the sun rise. This year's jazz festival included performances at Shoal Bay Beach and Frangipani Beach Club.

Anguilla has just the right atmosphere to experience romance complete with excellent dining choices (see below), gorgeous beaches, spa experiences and a bit of history to throw in for good measure.

Take a look back at Anguilla's rich history by visiting Sandy Ground, once a ceremonial site for the Amerindians. Guided tours of the place are by appointment and also include a stop at the Old Salt Factory and pump house. Later, you can go back to the pump house for dinner and drinks, as it has been renovated and turned into a bar and restaurant.

For lying around in the sun, choose one of Anguilla's 33 white, sandy beaches. I enjoyed myself on two separate occasions at Anguilla Great House Beach Resort and CuisinArt Resort and Spa. For the perfect spa experience I headed to CuisinArt's Venus Spa where I succumbed to a relaxation massage after a too late night at Moonsplash.

The Spa at Cap Juluca is well one of the best spa experiences on the island as well. It's not business as usual at this luxurious resort. Secluded and peaceful, the Cap Juluca spa offers a range of wellness treatments based on indigenous rituals from around the world including the signature two hour Cap Juluca Ritual for two complete with a basil and mint clay body scrub, shower, massage and sea salt and flower bath. Come away from the Juluca Massage with a mingling of Swedish, Thai and reflexology, or intoxicate your senses with the Lulur Royal Ritual combining the island's flowers, herbs and plants.

As leisurely as the island, treatments are encouraged in-room, making for a more relaxing experience. Several spa rooms are available, as well as the garden or a gazebo overlooking the Caribbean and the mountains of St. Martin.

Set amid 179 acres of purple, blue and yellow flowers, the pristine beaches and bright white Moroccan architecture that make up the beach front villas and suites offer an international flavor with a strictly Caribbean attitude.

Cap Juluca is also host to special food festivals during the year. I was lucky enough to be there for the Italian Wine Festival. Guest speakers from Italian Vineyards were present to discuss their popular blends; the Pinot Bianco Collio 2001 was paired with the Tomato, Fennel and Argula Salad and by the end of the evening we had tasted six wines, the final one a desert wine; Brachetto D' Acqui. Who would have imagined a little taste of the Mediterranean right in the heart of the Caribbean islands.

Rita Cook is the editor-in-chief of Insider Magazine and enjoys spending her time traveling on freelance assignments as well. Living in Los Angeles, Cook is also a film producer who currently has a film in development, "The Kiss of the Vampire."